Tradiciones Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Tempe

As friends and followers know, I’m on a lifelong quest to find the best chimichanga that the Southwest has to offer, and my quest recently led me here, on Cinco de Mayo, to Tradiciones Mexican Grill.

First of all, no, Cinco de Mayo is not about Mexican independence; it’s a symbolic victory from a battle many years ago that serves a symbolic purpose for revolutionaries everywhere. So I guess it’s kind of ironic that I visited a place called “Traditions.” What’s not traditional here? I’d say their guacamole. It’s among the most unique I’ve ever tasted, creamy and dark and heavy on the cilantro. It almost reminded me of an Italian pesto in its consistency and concentration of flavor. It was fantastico.

As for the chimi… on the 13 point universal scale of chimichanga deliciousness, this one scores an incredibly strong 12 points. It was a full-looking chimi, not flat like you see at some places. Perfectly fried, it had great crunch and mouthfeel. It was presented well with a pretty sour cream drizzle, accompanied by a scoop of pico de gallo, a serving of the aforementioned guacamole, some cabbage, and a slice of tomato. One of the best chimichanga plates I’ve ever seen. The cheese was excellent, and the only thing that felt slightly lacking were the beans (I always order a bean and cheese chimi to keep things even across the board… and to avoid the ‘meat sweats’). If you’re a fan of chunky refried beans, you’ll enjoy these. They had a little too much bite for my liking, as if they were undercooked; it could be their style, which is valid. But flavor wise, I wanted more from the star of the show.

Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with this chimichanga. Is it the best that planet earth has to offer? For some, maybe. For me, it’s close. Very close. Certainly top 10, maybe even top 5.

Lastly, the restaurant was clean, the staff were kind and communicative, but I wish the TV would go away. Incredibly annoying hearing the news or whatever it was chittering in...

Ok, first off, where has this place been my whole life!?!?! My daughter and I did some Goodwill hunting and we were hungry. They looked up some places close and said there was a Mexican place 100 yards away. Ok! Let’s check it out… It was around 3:30 so not very busy which was great for us! It was VERY clean and cute decor. The woman who took our order was very nice! I asked how long this place has been open, and she stated since August. August? Exclamation mark I go to that Goodwill at least a couple times a month and never noticed it. Also, there’s been a lot of roadwork and detours into that little strip mall so maybe that’s why?? Well, all I know is that I’m glad my daughter found it on Google because let me tell you… AMAZING!!! I got the Birria taco plate which came with three huge tacos crammed with so much meat, I could not believe it!! With a side of rice and beans for 15.99. That’s right, 15.99!! My daughter got the Torta with Barbacoa meat. It was huge! Came with a side of crinkle cut fries, which were hot and crispy. She also got their Horchata which was the best they’ve ever had!! They also have a salsa bar with pre-bagged condiments and pre-packaged in little cups the salsa, so no mess, which was great!! These tacos were the best beer tacos I’ve ever had. Including my own, which I make a few times a year. This is now my new go to for Mexican food.. So amazing; friendly staff, clean bathrooms. It was awesome! Everyone’s gotta check it out and I highly recommend...

I've never eaten here before, so we thought we'd give it a chance. We weren't aware it wasn't a " 'sit-down' have chips and salsa, make your order" type of restaurant, but it didn't take us long to figure out we had chosen well. The prices are agreeable, the food is yummy, and the AMOUNT of food was perfect. I'm an eater, and I hate paying my hard-earned money on food that leaves you wanting more when you're finished. I was so stuffed I had no room for dessert, (which was better anyway... I need dessert like I need a higher insurance payment, and it saved me money!) The front receptionist was truly a sweetheart and took great care of us, knowing that we had never eaten there before. She walked us through some of the popular dished, so we ordered, we sat down, and realized the place was SPOTLESS, and smelled fresh and clean... You can tell a lot about a place by how well they tend house, and keep their restrooms. Oh yeah, the restrooms, CLEAN... at least the men's side was... I'll assume the same of the women's. I ALWAYS check the restrooms. MUCH to learn about a place by how well they keep they tend to this important part of their establishment. The service... awesome. Food got to us fast, and was served with a pleasant and courteous smile, and was tasty as ever... So... they have made fans out of us. I'm pretty sure you'll...